Impact of exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields on blood pressure, heart rate variation and disturbance to quality of sleep on industrial workers in Korea.

Objectives: This study investigates the potential health risks associated with exposure to extremely low-frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MFs), focusing on the impact on sleep quality. The hypothesis is that increasing ELF-MF exposure will correlate with elevated blood pressure (BP), altered heart rate (HR) dynamics and poorer sleep quality among occupational workers in Korea.

Methods: The study involved 85 participants.

Analyzing the effect of sleep duration, chronotype, and social jet lag on anxiety disorders and health-related quality of life: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Anxiety disorders significantly impair the quality of life (QOL). Studies on the effect of sleep duration, chronotype, and social jet lag on anxiety disorders are limited. This study aimed to elucidate the contributions of sleep duration, chronotype, and social jet lag to the prevalence and severity of anxiety disorders in Koreans.

Cardiometabolic risk factors and coronary atherosclerosis progression in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: the influential role of quantity over type.

Background And Aim: Individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) who are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are critical to identify and manage. We aimed to assess whether the risk of CVD in patients with MASLD differed according to the type or number of cardiometabolic risk factors.

Methods: This longitudinal cohort study involved 5674 adults who underwent at least two health checkups between 2004 and 2021.

Usefulness and limitations of ChatGPT in getting information on teratogenic drugs exposed in pregnancy.

There is a growing interest in using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to obtain information on the risk and safety of drugs in pregnancy. Inadvertent drug exposure in pregnant women is inevitable in acute or chronic diseases, especially in unplanned pregnancies. According to the Korean mother safe counselling center database (2010-2023), many Korean pregnant women and their families asked about the teratogenicity of their exposed drugs.

Correlation between inflammatory markers and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) failure in laparoscopic colectomy.

Purpose: To evaluate inflammatory markers to identify patients at risk of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) failure following laparoscopic colectomy.

Methods: We included patients who underwent laparoscopic colectomy between September 2020 and February 2023. ERAS failure was defined as intolerance of a soft diet on postoperative day (POD) 2, postoperative stay > 7 days, or readmission within 30 days postoperatively.

Holistic approaches to mitigating psychological distress in gynecological cancer patients.

This article delves into the psychological impact of gynecological malignancies and suggests pathways to improve the quality of life (QoL) for affected patients. Building on Shang 's comprehensive analysis, this piece integrates insights from various studies to highlight the profound influence of psychological and physical symptoms on patients undergoing treatment for gynecological cancers. The study underscores that anxiety and depression significantly exacerbate the disease's toll.

Elevated expression in cholangiocarcinoma is linked to poor prognosis and may guide targeted therapies.

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a highly aggressive bile duct cancer, is associated with late-stage diagnosis and limited treatment options, leading to poor patient outcomes. Early detection and personalized treatment strategies are crucial. The study by Wang highlights the prognostic potential of the PEA3 subfamily genes (, , and ) in CCA, identifying ETV4 as a particularly promising biomarker.

Occipital hypoperfusion and motor reserve in Parkinson's disease: an early-phase F-FP-CIT PET study.

Individual variability exists in parkinsonian motor symptoms despite a similar degree of nigrostriatal dopamine depletion in Parkinson's disease (PD), called motor reserve. We enrolled 397 patients newly diagnosed with PD who underwent dual-phase F-FP-CIT PET upon initial assessment. Individual motor reserve was estimated based on initial parkinsonian motor symptoms and striatal dopamine transporter availability using a residual model.

Post-hoc analysis of the CARES trial suggests delayed progression of chronic kidney disease in patients with gout during urate-lowering therapy.

Based on the hypothesis that hyperuricemia is a modifiable risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression, there is an expectation that urate-lowering therapy (ULT) could delay the progression of CKD. Here, we investigated changes in kidney function and the association of the serum uric acid (sUA) level and kidney function during ULT in patients with gout. To do this we conducted post-hoc analysis on patients who received ULT with either febuxostat or allopurinol for more than six months in the CARES trial.

Vaccine efficacy induced by 2020-2021 seasonal influenza-derived H3N1 virus-like particles co-expressing M2e5x or N2.

Influenza A matrix protein 2 (M2e) and neuraminidase (NA) antigens are known to play important roles in mounting a broad range of protection. Nonetheless, the protective efficacy of the VLP vaccines co-expressing both M2e and NA antigens has not been explored. In this study, we generated 2020/2021 seasonal influenza H3N1 VLPs that co-expressed either M2e5x (H3N1M2e5x) or N2 (H3N1N2 VLP) antigens.

Dose sparing enabled by immunization with influenza vaccine using orally dissolving film.

Influenza vaccine delivered by orally dissolving film vaccine (ODFV) is a promising approach. In this study, we generated three ODFVs each comprising pulluan and trehalose with different doses of inactivated A/Puerto Rico/8/34, H1N1 virus (ODFV I, II, III) to evaluate their dose-sparing effect in mice. The ODFVs were placed on the tongues of mice to elicit immunization and after 3 immunizations at 4-week intervals, mice were challenged with a lethal dose of A/PR/8/34 to assess vaccine-induced protection.

Skin Necrosis Due to Misuse of a COVID-19 Antigen Home Test Kit: A Case Report.

Many people are still infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the use of home test kits for diagnosis is becoming common. The misuse of the kits may cause unexpected patient harm. The purpose of this case study was to report a rare case of facial skin necrosis caused by contact with a reagent in a COVID-19 Ag home test kit due to misuse of the kit.

Efficacy and safety of safinamide in Parkinson's disease patients with motor fluctuations without levodopa dosage escalation over 18 weeks: KEEP study.

This multicentre, prospective, single-arm study evaluated safinamide as add-on therapy to levodopa in Korean patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) with motor fluctuations with ≥ 1.5 h of "off" time daily, who took levodopa ≥ 3 times/day (n = 199). Baseline levodopa and dopamine agonist doses were maintained without escalation during the 18-week treatment period.

Could cough hypersensitivity symptom profile differentiate phenotypes of chronic cough?

Background: Recently, cough reflex hypersensitivity has been proposed as a common underlying feature of chronic cough in adults. However, symptoms and clinical characteristics of cough hypersensitivity have not been studied amongst phenotypes of chronic cough. This study aimed to compare symptom features, such as cough triggers and associated throat sensations, of cough hypersensitivity in patients with asthmatic chronic cough and those with refractory chronic cough (RCC).

Identification of altered blood metabolic pathways in equines following ethyl pyruvate administration using non-targeted metabolomics.

Ethyl pyruvate (EP) has emerged as a promising compound with potential therapeutic benefits attributed to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. This study aimed to understand the effects of EP on plasma metabolites and immune cells in horses, utilizing advanced liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolomics, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and blood chemistry analyses. Our comprehensive analysis detected 2,366 ions, and 126 metabolites were accurately identified.

Influence of the partner's obstructive sleep apnea on metabolic syndrome in couples.

Objectives: This study investigates the relationship between the risk of obstructive sleep apnea, as assessed by the STOP-Bang questionnaire, and metabolic syndrome among couples. It also examines how snoring and observed apnea are associated with metabolic syndrome in couples.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study using data from 2436 couples in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2019-2021).